Time for Targets for 2017!

Yes I know we are nearly at the middle of January but I have been busy and I’m only now getting round to writing this blog post- what do you mean it should be my priority. Every year I like to set myself targets for the year so I can remind myself where I am going and celebrate when I get there. Last week I set my targets for my work blog so this week it is time for my gaming/life blog – the one which you are currently reading. So, without further a do – what a great saying that is, let’s get on with it!

I just wanted to say, right at the start of the waffle, that I am completely realistic about life and things. I’ve been through the stages of thinking that I am going to take over the world and I’ll be the best and the greatest and been brought crashing back down to earth by realism stretching out its long arm, grabbing my dangling foot and giving it an almighty tug. Nowadays I like to set targets which some people might consider less than inspirational but I consider realistic and attainable. I always think it is a lot better to work and achieve a smaller target than work and not achieve a larger one which probably was unattainable from the start. As well as setting the targets I think it is also important to say what actions I will be taking to reach them. It is fine to say that you want to be the top streamer on Twitch, but really the important part is what you are going to do to actually get there. I do think this is a part of targets that people often omit and which, if people engaged with them, would make target setting and achieving more realistic and attainable. Introduction waffling completed – here are my targets for 2017!

Summary of Targets – in case you don’t want to read the whole waffle!

A regular streaming schedule which I maintain throughout the year

Increase the range of games I play – including Shadowrun and a ‘quick game’ maybe on my XBoxOne, and Minecraft!

Develop my Discord, YouTube, Website and Twitter to promote community and interaction

Play more Minecraft and develop the servers – once again!

Followers, Viewers and Schedule – At the start of the new year I saw many people stating the number of followers that they wanted to achieve and their desire for partnership. I recognised a long time ago that I am a small time streamer who is probably working in a rather niche area of the gaming world. I also have a full time job and a radio station to run, so although I would love to stream each and every day for huge periods of time there is a limit to how much streaming I can actually do. Rather than stating I want to have 500 followers and 20 viewers each and every stream (that’s the target for you people who like numerical ones), I’m going to make this target less numerical. I feel that I have a nice community associated with my channel and I would like to maintain this and hopefully encourage it to grow. Yes I am going to try and do more giveaways and some ‘special’ streams. I think if I can just maintain the community, viewers and followers that I currently have then this will be a target well achieved. I do want to develop a more regular streaming schedule so that I am streaming most days of the week. The content of these streams will vary but I would like to get it sorted and then maintain my commitment to it. I guess it is important here not to aim too high, so I might start smaller and slowly grow but more streaming on a regular basis is definitely a target.

Range of Games – Star Wars will always be on my streaming list of games but I do want to expand what I play. Dungeons and Dragons is definitely on the list and I am sure that the existing campaign will continue to run for some time. As well as this campaign I do want to get back into playing Shadowrun on stream. This is a game which I loved when it was table top and want to definitely add to my streaming schedule. I just need to find the time and the players. I’ve been trying to get involved in Black Desert Online but currently finding it so vast that despite playing it for several sessions I feel that I am no further forward with understanding it than I was in the first ever time I played. I also need to find a ‘quick game’ to play. This would be a game like Overwatch which I can just log on and play without much preparation. I frequently have small periods of time in my schedule when I can play but only for an hour and these sorts of game would be perfect to play here – maybe even something on my rarely used XBoxOne -any ideas?

Waffling, Discord, YouTube and Twitter – These are often areas which I feel I neglect. I have already decided that I will be blogging to this site once every two weeks with a mixture of gaming and personal waffles. I did apply for partnership on Discord but didn’t get it, but that doesn’t mean that I am not going to continue to use it. I want to keep the community up to date with things and also perhaps engage them with the forums on this site. I always want to try and get people uploading things – I’ve seen this happen on other discord channels but have yet to get it to work on my own. Also – I want to continue to publish examples of gaming onto YouTube but also add some other videos – for example like me making waffles. I do like the idea of ‘In Real Life’ videos – maybe even a ‘Day in the Life’ video. I have the camera and the software to edit these so it is just a matter of finding the time and idea now – its a target now so watch this space!

Minecraft – I can safely say this is probably currently the biggest bane of my life. As you will know I have several servers and very little interaction on them. I have decided to add Minecraft to my schedule (see my first target) and start to think of ways to engage with the servers and the educational value of the game. This is probably the area with the biggest cross over between my professional and gaming life and, if you look at how many people play, stream and make a success of Minecraft, there must be something in it. The big question is just if it is something which I can tap into and enjoy. So, with travel sickness tablets at the ready, more Minecraft is on its way – Stand by Enderman!

Well, that’s it. I’m not sure if I have really set targets or just talked about what I have hoped to achieve in 2017. Currently I am all psyched up to make a success of it all, so I hope that my motivation and energy continues throughout the year but just in case it doesn’t you had better wish me luck now! – go on – add it in the comments!